THE TALE OF TWO KINGS© Dr. J. David Arnett, Pastor
Saturday, December 20, 2008
www.CarpentersHouseChurch.com
Picture Scrooge. He was "“Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shriveled his cheek, stiffened his gait; made his eyes red, his thin lips blue and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice. A frosty rime was on his head, and on his eyebrows, and his wiry chin. He carried his own low temperature always about with him; he iced his office in the dogdays; and didn't thaw it one degree at Christmas" (Charles Dickens).
With that image in your mind, I set before you, this day, two kings.
One is the embodiment of humanistic genius, humanistic government, and humanistic greed.
The Other is the embodiment of divine logic, divine leadership, and divine love.
The one demanded to be served and many lives were sacrificed to his self-centeredness.
The Other came loving and serving and gave His life as a ransom for many.
The one craved the respect and acceptance of fellow kings.
The Other WAS worshiped by kings—and by scribes and scholars as well as by philosophers, paupers, priests, prophets and prostitutes.
Both claimed to be King of the Jews.
Both asked for loyalty.
The question before you is “Whom will you place on the throne of your heart? The King of Mammon or the King of Glory?”
The polytheistic, pagan religions of the Babylonians, the Persians, the Greeks and the Romans had created a void in the ancient world.
It was a void superstition, black magic, and astrology could not fill.
The philosophers ridiculed the puny Roman deities, yet their education and wisdom did not remove the void.
Some desiring something more, sought for a better way to know their Creator.
Among them were Gentiles who attended the Jewish synagogues because they saw there a hope in one, true and holy God.
From these God-fearers came certain Magi (Wise Men) who sought to find a King, sought to find the King of kings!
Some suppose these Wise Men were descendants of the Chaldean wise men of whom Daniel was chief and who therefore might know of the star prophesied in Numbers 24:17.
All we really know is that these men saw a star and somehow God caused them to know it was THE star of One born King of the Jews, a King’s king, One worthy to be worshiped.
The star did not indicate where the King was to be born, so the Magi traveled to Jerusalem, the logical birthplace for the King of the Jews for it was the capital and housed the royal palace.
To their surprise, no one at Jerusalem had discerned the star or had heard of the birth of a new king.
We three kings of Orient are,
Bearing gifts we traverse afar
Field and fountain, moor and mountain,
Following yonder star.
O star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.
With that image in your mind, I set before you, this day, two kings.
One is the embodiment of humanistic genius, humanistic government, and humanistic greed.
The Other is the embodiment of divine logic, divine leadership, and divine love.
The one demanded to be served and many lives were sacrificed to his self-centeredness.
The Other came loving and serving and gave His life as a ransom for many.
The one craved the respect and acceptance of fellow kings.
The Other WAS worshiped by kings—and by scribes and scholars as well as by philosophers, paupers, priests, prophets and prostitutes.
Both claimed to be King of the Jews.
Both asked for loyalty.
The question before you is “Whom will you place on the throne of your heart? The King of Mammon or the King of Glory?”
The polytheistic, pagan religions of the Babylonians, the Persians, the Greeks and the Romans had created a void in the ancient world.
It was a void superstition, black magic, and astrology could not fill.
The philosophers ridiculed the puny Roman deities, yet their education and wisdom did not remove the void.
Some desiring something more, sought for a better way to know their Creator.
Among them were Gentiles who attended the Jewish synagogues because they saw there a hope in one, true and holy God.
From these God-fearers came certain Magi (Wise Men) who sought to find a King, sought to find the King of kings!
Some suppose these Wise Men were descendants of the Chaldean wise men of whom Daniel was chief and who therefore might know of the star prophesied in Numbers 24:17.
All we really know is that these men saw a star and somehow God caused them to know it was THE star of One born King of the Jews, a King’s king, One worthy to be worshiped.
The star did not indicate where the King was to be born, so the Magi traveled to Jerusalem, the logical birthplace for the King of the Jews for it was the capital and housed the royal palace.
To their surprise, no one at Jerusalem had discerned the star or had heard of the birth of a new king.
We three kings of Orient are,
Bearing gifts we traverse afar
Field and fountain, moor and mountain,
Following yonder star.
O star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.
("We Three Kings of Orient Are" also known as "The Quest of the Magi" is a Christmas carol written by Reverend John Henry Hopkins, Jr.)
Rumors of distinguished visitors inquiring about the birth of a new king soon reached the paranoid ears of Herod, known as the Great.
Sucking air through pursed lips, Herod listened to the report.
Blood flushed his bloated cheeks.
His pudgy hands jerked into fists.
Those who best knew Herod prepared themselves for the inevitable explosion.
The volcano was about to erupt, spewing burning lava on all those about.
“A new king of the Jews!” he bellowed.
“Here it comes,” thought one servant, as she stepped into a less conspicuous place.
But Herod grew quiet.
His eyes narrowed to fine lines as he squinted at the messenger.
“Go,” he said with a serpentine hiss.
“Go, call the chief priests and scribes. I will speak with them.”
Herod was of mixed blood (half Idumean and half Nabatean Arab); hardly a proper king of the Jews.
Herod had come to the throne due to a favor Rome owed his father, Antipater.
With the assistance of Rome’s legions, he brutally crushed the armies of Antigonus, the last independent Jewish king and high priest.
By persuasive speech, secret intrigue and blood-shed he maintained his position throughout the reigns of Mark Antony and Augustus.
Herod knew that his hold over the Jewish people was tenuous at best.
His mixed blood made him a foreigner in their eyes.
His use of the Roman legions in laying waste to many Jewish cities as he expanded his control over his subjects left widows and weeping mothers and wandering orphans.
His willingness to support heathen cults aroused their suspicion concerning his loyalty to Judaism.
His occasional attendance at the temple ceremonies, his cynical use of the priesthood as a political tool, the looseness of his personal life, and the viciousness displayed in dealing with his rivals caused him to be generally hated by devout Jews.
Paranoia became a way of life for Herod.
He built magnificent fortress palaces at Masada and Herodium.
If he ever fell out of favor with Rome or if the Jews rose up to depose him, he planned to retreat to one of these for protection.
He was determined to see that nothing and no one took his wealth, position and power.
If he couldn’t be loved by the people, then he would be feared by them!
>>No one must threaten his throne!
In an effort to consolidate his hold over the Jewish people, Herod married a Jewish wife, Mariamne, the sister of Aristobulus, the rightful heir to the throne.
But out of jealousy and fear Herod had his popular 17-year-old brother-in-law drowned in his bathtub.
In Herod’s home blood was not thicker than water.
>>No one must threaten his throne!
Later, in a fit of jealousy, Herod had his beloved wife executed and her body preserved in honey.
Remorse so gripped Herod that he became physically and mentally ill.
He lashed out and had his mother-in-law killed.
>>No one must threaten his throne!
When the populace began to acclaim Alexander and Aristobulus (the sons of Herod by the Jewess Mariamne) Herod had them murdered.
No one (including his own sons) must threaten his throne!
Smitten with “intense itching, painful intestinal problems, breathlessness, convulsions in every limb, and gangrene of the genitalia,” haunted by the memory of his murders, Herod came to the realization he had no friends—no one who would grieve at his funeral.
So, he drew up a will ordering that upon his death 3,000 of the most prominent Jewish citizens be taken into the temple and executed.
That way, he reasoned, there would be tears shed on the day of his death!
It did not matter that he was not popular.
He had his possessions.
He had his position.
He had his power.
He was still king!
He still had his throne!
Footsteps brought Herod out of the dungeons of his twisted mind.
It was the priests.
Herod knew these men despised him.
He swore under his breathe.
His nostrils flared.
But as he spoke, honey dripped from his words.
“Ah, gentlemen. I have a theological problem for you. Where do the Scriptures say the Messiah will be born?”
It was an easy question.
Without hesitation, the men responded with a free translation of Micah 5:2, “In Bethlehem in Judea.”
The false friendliness gone, Herod dismissed the priests with a wave of his hand.
“Bring in the Easterners,” he ordered.
Entering the opulence of Herod’s palace, the distinguished guests seemed to take no notice.
They had not come to see treasure.
They had not come to pursue power.
Theirs was a spiritual mission.
They were looking for a King who could satisfy the soul.
For some reason Herod felt uncomfortable in their presence.
He shivered as long-buried feelings tugged at his heart.
Recovering himself, Herod spoke, “Welcome, welcome to my humble abode.”
He swept the room with a grandiose gesture. “What brings you to MY kingdom?”
“A star? Ah, yes, yes. I’ve heard rumors about a star? And you have seen it? Hmm, interesting, interesting. When did you say the star first appeared? And you think this star has something to do with the birth of the Messiah, the King of the Jews? Well, as I’m sure you know, I am a great student of the Scriptures and I believe the prophets predicted that the Messiah would be born in a little village 6 miles southwest of here. Bethlehem, it’s called.”
Leaning forward in his chair, Herod took on a confidential tone, “Go and search diligently for the young Child and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also. I am a religious man you know, yes, religious, religious.”
The Wise Men came to Jerusalem seeking for fulfillment.
They sought a King.
But Herod with all of his wine, women, wealth and power could not satisfy.
In fact, Herod was himself miserable.
He was a phony King of the Jews!
The Wise Men started toward Bethlehem and the star reappeared!
They recognized it at once as the same star they had seen back in their home country.
The star began to move, indicating it was no ordinary star but truly a miraculous token of God’s guidance for seekers.
Steadily, it led them until they came to the very house where the young Child was.
Filled with joy, the Magi presented Him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
By faith, the Magi saw that this Child was THE KING for whom they searched.
He was the promised Messiah.
Deep in their hearts, they knew that He was the Word become flesh and that through Him the world might be saved and satisfied.
In an act of worship, the Wise Men fell down at the feet of the small Child and expressed their heart-felt worship and adoration.
A personal encounter with Jesus invariably transforms the seeker into a true worshiper; to know Him is to love Him!
Though they were intellectuals, though they were wealthy, though they were regal in their own right they humbled themselves before THIS CHILD.
They recognized that the Christ Child was and is the King of kings and the Lord of lords!
And He shall reign for ever and ever!
Having found what they searched for, the Wise Men followed God’s leading and went directly home.
They did not return to Herod.
Herod stormed through the palace.
“I’ll kill those liars. I’ll torture them. I’ll tear the tongues from their deceiving mouths. Who do they think they’re dealing with? I am the King of the Jews! No one can threaten my throne and live!”
Servants and minor officials scattered, trying to escape the gaze of the crazed king.
When he was like this no one was safe.
“Find the commander of my troops! I’ll show them who’s King of the Jews!”
The commander hurried in and saluted smartly.
Herod screeched, “There are spies and traitors in the land! You must deal with them! Take your troops to Bethlehem. Kill every male child two years of age and under. Don’t let any escape. I want them dead. Do you hear? Dead! I am the king. I am the king.”
The commander was a brave man, but he trembled as he said, “Sire, the soldiers will not kill babies.”
“They will do as I say! I am king!”
Screams mingled with the sound of retreating hoof beats, as mothers wept over the butchered bodies of their babies.
Thus, the prophecy of Jeremiah was fulfilled (31:15).
Warned in a dream, the parents of the Child King had escaped to Egypt.
Through the gifts of the Wise Men, God supplied sustenance and safety for the holy family in a foreign land.
Not realizing whom he was dealing with, Herod failed to destroy Jesus the Christ, the True King of the Jews.
However, the story does not end there.
Oh, no! The story never ends with time.
There is always the eternal with which to reckon.
King Jesus grew up to be a great preacher.
In His most famous sermon, He taught that “no one can serve two masters.”
As He said, “for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and riches.”
On another occasion, Jesus asked, “What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul?”
Herod exchanged his eternal destiny for a few brief moments of prominence, position, prosperity, and power.
On a self-centered sacrificial altar, he slaughtered his spouse, his sons, and his soul to squeeze a scepter, and sit on a throne.
But at death what did he have?
Nothing!! Absolutely nothing!!
At death Hell claimed him as its own!
Thirty one years later, there was another power hungry leader and another group of greedy soldiers ... others who were willing to sell their eternal souls for temporal things.
In a mockery of a trial, Pilate asked Jesus, “Are You the King of the Jews?”
And Jesus answered, “It is true. I am a king. For this cause was I born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”
But He added, “My kingdom is not of this world.”
All Pilate could say was, “What is truth?”
Then turning to the murderous, mad mob, Pilate asked, “What shall I do with Jesus, your Messiah?”
“Crucify him!” they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify! His blood be on us and on our children!”
Pilate gave in to the blood-thirsty rabble.
He turned Jesus over to the Roman garrison to be flogged and crucified.
But first they took King Jesus into the fortress, stripped Him, put a scarlet robe on Him, drove a crown of thorns into His head and placed a stick in His hands as a scepter.
They took turns kneeling before him in mockery.
“Hail, King of the Jews!” they yelled.
They spat on Him and beat Him with a rod.
When they tired of their sick game, they led King Jesus through the city streets, out of the city to a place called Skull Hill.
At Calvary, the soldiers crucified Jesus.
Above His head they placed a sign.
It read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”
From the cross, King Jesus shouted, “It is finished!” and dismissed His spirit.
But remember the story does not end with time.
There is the eternal dimension.
Jesus conquered death and Hades!
Within three days, He rose from the grave.
He ascended to the throne room of heaven.
And He has promised to return for those who like the wise men surrender to His Lordship!
WILL YOU SURRENDER TO THE KING OF KINGS?
If not, like Herod of old or Scrooge of Dickens’ “Christmas Carol,” you may die “…a tight-fisted … squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner!”
Rumors of distinguished visitors inquiring about the birth of a new king soon reached the paranoid ears of Herod, known as the Great.
Sucking air through pursed lips, Herod listened to the report.
Blood flushed his bloated cheeks.
His pudgy hands jerked into fists.
Those who best knew Herod prepared themselves for the inevitable explosion.
The volcano was about to erupt, spewing burning lava on all those about.
“A new king of the Jews!” he bellowed.
“Here it comes,” thought one servant, as she stepped into a less conspicuous place.
But Herod grew quiet.
His eyes narrowed to fine lines as he squinted at the messenger.
“Go,” he said with a serpentine hiss.
“Go, call the chief priests and scribes. I will speak with them.”
Herod was of mixed blood (half Idumean and half Nabatean Arab); hardly a proper king of the Jews.
Herod had come to the throne due to a favor Rome owed his father, Antipater.
With the assistance of Rome’s legions, he brutally crushed the armies of Antigonus, the last independent Jewish king and high priest.
By persuasive speech, secret intrigue and blood-shed he maintained his position throughout the reigns of Mark Antony and Augustus.
Herod knew that his hold over the Jewish people was tenuous at best.
His mixed blood made him a foreigner in their eyes.
His use of the Roman legions in laying waste to many Jewish cities as he expanded his control over his subjects left widows and weeping mothers and wandering orphans.
His willingness to support heathen cults aroused their suspicion concerning his loyalty to Judaism.
His occasional attendance at the temple ceremonies, his cynical use of the priesthood as a political tool, the looseness of his personal life, and the viciousness displayed in dealing with his rivals caused him to be generally hated by devout Jews.
Paranoia became a way of life for Herod.
He built magnificent fortress palaces at Masada and Herodium.
If he ever fell out of favor with Rome or if the Jews rose up to depose him, he planned to retreat to one of these for protection.
He was determined to see that nothing and no one took his wealth, position and power.
If he couldn’t be loved by the people, then he would be feared by them!
>>No one must threaten his throne!
In an effort to consolidate his hold over the Jewish people, Herod married a Jewish wife, Mariamne, the sister of Aristobulus, the rightful heir to the throne.
But out of jealousy and fear Herod had his popular 17-year-old brother-in-law drowned in his bathtub.
In Herod’s home blood was not thicker than water.
>>No one must threaten his throne!
Later, in a fit of jealousy, Herod had his beloved wife executed and her body preserved in honey.
Remorse so gripped Herod that he became physically and mentally ill.
He lashed out and had his mother-in-law killed.
>>No one must threaten his throne!
When the populace began to acclaim Alexander and Aristobulus (the sons of Herod by the Jewess Mariamne) Herod had them murdered.
No one (including his own sons) must threaten his throne!
Smitten with “intense itching, painful intestinal problems, breathlessness, convulsions in every limb, and gangrene of the genitalia,” haunted by the memory of his murders, Herod came to the realization he had no friends—no one who would grieve at his funeral.
So, he drew up a will ordering that upon his death 3,000 of the most prominent Jewish citizens be taken into the temple and executed.
That way, he reasoned, there would be tears shed on the day of his death!
It did not matter that he was not popular.
He had his possessions.
He had his position.
He had his power.
He was still king!
He still had his throne!
Footsteps brought Herod out of the dungeons of his twisted mind.
It was the priests.
Herod knew these men despised him.
He swore under his breathe.
His nostrils flared.
But as he spoke, honey dripped from his words.
“Ah, gentlemen. I have a theological problem for you. Where do the Scriptures say the Messiah will be born?”
It was an easy question.
Without hesitation, the men responded with a free translation of Micah 5:2, “In Bethlehem in Judea.”
The false friendliness gone, Herod dismissed the priests with a wave of his hand.
“Bring in the Easterners,” he ordered.
Entering the opulence of Herod’s palace, the distinguished guests seemed to take no notice.
They had not come to see treasure.
They had not come to pursue power.
Theirs was a spiritual mission.
They were looking for a King who could satisfy the soul.
For some reason Herod felt uncomfortable in their presence.
He shivered as long-buried feelings tugged at his heart.
Recovering himself, Herod spoke, “Welcome, welcome to my humble abode.”
He swept the room with a grandiose gesture. “What brings you to MY kingdom?”
“A star? Ah, yes, yes. I’ve heard rumors about a star? And you have seen it? Hmm, interesting, interesting. When did you say the star first appeared? And you think this star has something to do with the birth of the Messiah, the King of the Jews? Well, as I’m sure you know, I am a great student of the Scriptures and I believe the prophets predicted that the Messiah would be born in a little village 6 miles southwest of here. Bethlehem, it’s called.”
Leaning forward in his chair, Herod took on a confidential tone, “Go and search diligently for the young Child and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also. I am a religious man you know, yes, religious, religious.”
The Wise Men came to Jerusalem seeking for fulfillment.
They sought a King.
But Herod with all of his wine, women, wealth and power could not satisfy.
In fact, Herod was himself miserable.
He was a phony King of the Jews!
The Wise Men started toward Bethlehem and the star reappeared!
They recognized it at once as the same star they had seen back in their home country.
The star began to move, indicating it was no ordinary star but truly a miraculous token of God’s guidance for seekers.
Steadily, it led them until they came to the very house where the young Child was.
Filled with joy, the Magi presented Him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
By faith, the Magi saw that this Child was THE KING for whom they searched.
He was the promised Messiah.
Deep in their hearts, they knew that He was the Word become flesh and that through Him the world might be saved and satisfied.
In an act of worship, the Wise Men fell down at the feet of the small Child and expressed their heart-felt worship and adoration.
A personal encounter with Jesus invariably transforms the seeker into a true worshiper; to know Him is to love Him!
Though they were intellectuals, though they were wealthy, though they were regal in their own right they humbled themselves before THIS CHILD.
They recognized that the Christ Child was and is the King of kings and the Lord of lords!
And He shall reign for ever and ever!
Having found what they searched for, the Wise Men followed God’s leading and went directly home.
They did not return to Herod.
Herod stormed through the palace.
“I’ll kill those liars. I’ll torture them. I’ll tear the tongues from their deceiving mouths. Who do they think they’re dealing with? I am the King of the Jews! No one can threaten my throne and live!”
Servants and minor officials scattered, trying to escape the gaze of the crazed king.
When he was like this no one was safe.
“Find the commander of my troops! I’ll show them who’s King of the Jews!”
The commander hurried in and saluted smartly.
Herod screeched, “There are spies and traitors in the land! You must deal with them! Take your troops to Bethlehem. Kill every male child two years of age and under. Don’t let any escape. I want them dead. Do you hear? Dead! I am the king. I am the king.”
The commander was a brave man, but he trembled as he said, “Sire, the soldiers will not kill babies.”
“They will do as I say! I am king!”
Screams mingled with the sound of retreating hoof beats, as mothers wept over the butchered bodies of their babies.
Thus, the prophecy of Jeremiah was fulfilled (31:15).
Warned in a dream, the parents of the Child King had escaped to Egypt.
Through the gifts of the Wise Men, God supplied sustenance and safety for the holy family in a foreign land.
Not realizing whom he was dealing with, Herod failed to destroy Jesus the Christ, the True King of the Jews.
However, the story does not end there.
Oh, no! The story never ends with time.
There is always the eternal with which to reckon.
King Jesus grew up to be a great preacher.
In His most famous sermon, He taught that “no one can serve two masters.”
As He said, “for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and riches.”
On another occasion, Jesus asked, “What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul?”
Herod exchanged his eternal destiny for a few brief moments of prominence, position, prosperity, and power.
On a self-centered sacrificial altar, he slaughtered his spouse, his sons, and his soul to squeeze a scepter, and sit on a throne.
But at death what did he have?
Nothing!! Absolutely nothing!!
At death Hell claimed him as its own!
Thirty one years later, there was another power hungry leader and another group of greedy soldiers ... others who were willing to sell their eternal souls for temporal things.
In a mockery of a trial, Pilate asked Jesus, “Are You the King of the Jews?”
And Jesus answered, “It is true. I am a king. For this cause was I born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”
But He added, “My kingdom is not of this world.”
All Pilate could say was, “What is truth?”
Then turning to the murderous, mad mob, Pilate asked, “What shall I do with Jesus, your Messiah?”
“Crucify him!” they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify! His blood be on us and on our children!”
Pilate gave in to the blood-thirsty rabble.
He turned Jesus over to the Roman garrison to be flogged and crucified.
But first they took King Jesus into the fortress, stripped Him, put a scarlet robe on Him, drove a crown of thorns into His head and placed a stick in His hands as a scepter.
They took turns kneeling before him in mockery.
“Hail, King of the Jews!” they yelled.
They spat on Him and beat Him with a rod.
When they tired of their sick game, they led King Jesus through the city streets, out of the city to a place called Skull Hill.
At Calvary, the soldiers crucified Jesus.
Above His head they placed a sign.
It read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”
From the cross, King Jesus shouted, “It is finished!” and dismissed His spirit.
But remember the story does not end with time.
There is the eternal dimension.
Jesus conquered death and Hades!
Within three days, He rose from the grave.
He ascended to the throne room of heaven.
And He has promised to return for those who like the wise men surrender to His Lordship!
WILL YOU SURRENDER TO THE KING OF KINGS?
If not, like Herod of old or Scrooge of Dickens’ “Christmas Carol,” you may die “…a tight-fisted … squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner!”
© Dr. J. David Arnett, Pastor
Saturday, December 20, 2008
All rights reserved.
